Untold (The Lynburn Legacy #2)

by Sarah Rees Brennan

Page Count: 336 pages.

My Rating: 5/5 stars.

(REMINDER: This is the second book of the series so if you have not read the first one, please skip the synopsis and the review. Even if I try to keep spoilers away, I'll refer to facts mentioned in the first book of the series and I don't want you to be spoiled!! ).

Synopsis:

On the surface, Sorry-in-the-Vale is a sleepy English town. But Kami Glass knows the truth. Sorry-in-the-Vale is full of magic. In the old days, the Lynburn family ruled with fear, terrifying the people into submission in order to kill for blood and power. Now the Lynburns are back, and Rob Lynburn is gathering sorcerers so that the town can return to the old ways. But Rob and his followers aren’t the only sorcerers in town. A decision must be made: pay the blood sacrifice, or fight. For Kami, this means more than just choosing between good and evil. With her link to Jared Lynburn severed, she’s now free to love anyone she chooses. But who should that be? A darkly humorous take on Gothic romance, Sarah Rees Brennan's Lynburn Legacy weaves together the tale of a heroine desperate to protect those she loves, two boys hoping to be saved, and the magical forces that will shape their destiny.

Detailed Review:

So this is the second book of the Lynburn Legacy series and I have to say that I liked it way more than the first one. I gave them both 5 stars but this one was more of 5.5 stars.

It was a very enjoyable, funny and intense read that led to a climax at the end of the book.

This book begins after the events of Unspoken and after the dark sorcerer is revealed. We know now what that sorcerer has in mind and which is the plan for Sorry-in-the-Vale. Being aware of that allows us to follow the characters in their journey to find a way to protect their city and allows us also to discover the limits of each character and what they'll overcome in order to reach their purpose.

For me, Kami in this book stood out. I was, already, a huge fan of her in the first book but in Untold she is the person who brings everyone together for the common purpose. She's the link between our characters and despite the hardships, she stands her ground till the end.

In the last scene of Unspoken, we see a broken Kami, a Kami who might actually give everything up after the Jared's behavior towards her. In Untold though, we see a Kami who's ready to fight, who's ready to overcome the obstacles and help take those dark sorcerers down.

Assuming you've read Unspoken, you know that after what Kami did, it's practically difficult for her to fight the way she might have been able to before her actions.

So that makes me admire her even more as a character. I like seeing a main character grow mentally and morally throughout the books and Kami is such a case.

Moving on to Jared, it's really hard to sustain a straightforward opinion. This guy confuses me!

In Unspoken, I really liked him. I was team Jared no matter what and I still am, that's not about a fan club. It's about the fact that I have mixed feelings. I want to hug him and kiss him and all sorts of lovey dovey things and on the other hand I want to slap him in the face. Honestly, I've read about complicated love interests but this one is fighting for the first place. Unspoken Jared was a challenge for Kami since she realised that the guy she thought existed only in her head is much much real. And I really liked the way their relationship was forming itself with all the interactions they had. At the end of Unspoken, Jared's actions made me so mad and made me feel so sorry for Kami but that was before I read Untold. Having read the second book helped me understand why Jared did what he did and why he chose to behave in a certain way. Yes it was unfair, yes it was mean and yes it hurt Kami but after his explanation it made me feel for him. He was confused and he was hurt because of her choice even if it wasn't much of a choice as Kami says herself.

So, do I excuse him? I don't know. But I do understand why he chose to behave in a specific way.

Concerning Ash, I believe this book sort of "fixed" the readers' view of him. In Unspoken, I can't say I really liked him. Yes he seemed nice and kind and a gentleman and all the things that may attract a girl but once we found out what his intentions truly were, this whole nice image crushed. His decisions at the end of Unspoken kind of redeemed him but still he needed to do a lot more for me to like him again. In Untold we see a new side of Ash. We see a guy who is hurt because of his mother's behaviour towards him, a guy who's threatened as an entity by Jared. He is afraid of being replaced and that triggers some pity. At least, that's what happened with me. I feel like he could have acted differently at some instances and he could at least be a bit smarter, especially at some scenes with Jared. I mean, probably Sarah Rees Brennan wanted to show how well Kami knew Jared and his reckless decisions, but I would have liked to see Ash understand Jared as well. Not necessarily "read" him but at least I would have liked a glimpse of understanding.

Kami's mum had an interesting turning point in this book. The image we all recall from Unspoken changes and we get to see a whole new perspective of her character. Not necessarily a good one.

I have to admit she creeped me out at some points. Maybe if I'd seen her work more with Kami and helping her when she needed her mother, it would make me like her more. But right now my feelings for her are debatable.

Kami's dad on the other hand was an interesting character in this book. I really liked the way he was so protective of his children and I really liked also his attitude towards his wife. It's logical and it's what the readers expect. It's the way everyone would have reacted.

Other characters such as Angela, Holly and Rusty were quite enjoyable in this book. We see Rusty getting more involved and I liked that. And we also get to see Angela and Holly being able to trust each other which was hard before.

Lillian was making me more and more angry as I moved from page to page, honestly. There were moments when I said out loud "Lillian, STOP. Just stop." She's a frustrating character. I understand that she's connected to the place and her house but at some points she could have, at least, heard someone else's opinion. Magic isn't the only solution after all.

Now about the twist (Kami's decision) and the cliffhanger (Jared's decision) what can I say?

I don't want to spoil that, I really don't but I wasn't expecting it. I kinda wished for Jared to do what he did but I didn't want the aftermath.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and I can't wait for the third one. But it comes out in September the 23rd. I need it now!

Gif Reaction:

“Been chatting much with Jared?"
"We often have special moments where I come into a room and he immediately leaves," Kami said. "I treasure those times.”